   var http_request = false;
   var timeoutToken;

   function makeRequest(url, parameters, output) {
      http_request = false;
      if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
         http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
         if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
         	// set type accordingly to anticipated content type
            //http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
            http_request.overrideMimeType('text/html');
         }
      } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
         try {
            http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
         } catch (e) {
            try {
               http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
            } catch (e) {}
         }
      }
      if (!http_request) {
         alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
         return false;
      }
      http_request.onreadystatechange = function() { alertContents(output); };
      http_request.open('GET', url + parameters + "&safteycheck=true", true);
      http_request.send(null);
   }
   
   function makeRequestConfirm(url, parameters, output) 
   {
	  if(confirm('Are you sure you wish to continue?'))
	  {
		  http_request = false;
		  if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
			 http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
			 if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
				// set type accordingly to anticipated content type
				//http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
				http_request.overrideMimeType('text/html');
			 }
		  } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
			 try {
				http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
			 } catch (e) {
				try {
				   http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
				} catch (e) {}
			 }
		  }
		  if (!http_request) {
			 alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
			 return false;
		  }
		  http_request.onreadystatechange = function() { alertContents(output); };
		  http_request.open('GET', url + parameters + "&safteycheck=true", true);
		  http_request.send(null);
	  }
   }

   function makeRequestTimeout(url, parameters, output, timeout) {
       //window.clearTimeout(timeoutToken);
       makeRequest(url,parameters,output);
       timeoutToken = window.setInterval(
                    function(){makeRequest(url,parameters,output)},
                    timeout);
   }

   function alertContents(output) {
      if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
         if (http_request.status == 200) {
            //alert(http_request.responseText);
            result = http_request.responseText;
			if(result != "#NO_SHOW")
				if(typeof output == 'string')

	            	document.getElementById(output).innerHTML = result;            
				else
	            	output.innerHTML = result;            
					
         } else {
            alert('There was a problem with the request.');
         }
      }
   }